Dana-Holcombe House Tour Canceled

By Shannon Hicks

The first public opening and tour of The Dana-Holcombe House, which had been postponed once due to construction concerns, was canceled last weekend after confusion over building codes and regulations led to more delays in a permanent certificate of occupancy (CO) being issued.

Proprietors John and Jane Vouros had planned to host an afternoon reception at their new home, which will also serve as a bed and breakfast, at 29 Main Street on Sunday, July 24. Construction delays in the week leading up to that date led the Vouroses to announce on July 21 that the event would be postponed for one week.

On Sunday, July 31, however, visitors to The Dana-Holcombe House were once again met with disappointing news: The new building was not yet ready for its public debut.

The Vouroses have been encountering obstacles during the building of their dream home, Mr Vouros said this week, in part due to the interpretation of state regulations concerning bed and breakfasts. The state laws were rewritten a few years ago and did not take into account the idea of new constructions for the purpose of bed and breakfast use.

The Dana-Holcombe House is the first newly constructed bed and breakfast (as opposed to a house being turned into a B&B) in the state in a number of years and the only such location in the immediate area. There are antique homes that have been turned into B&Bs across the state, and even a handful of fairly new establishments, but The Dana-Holcombe House is a brand-new construction built for the purpose of hosting overnight guests.

“We’re seeing confusion between the building and fire codes, but let me make it clear: we’re also seeing a lot of cooperation between the departments that have to follow regulations before allowing us to open,” Mr Vouros said. “The town has been trying to help us as much as possible.”

On Sunday afternoon a note was posted outside The Dana-Holcombe House to explain to ticket-holders why a one-week delay had to be changed to a cancellation.

“It seems that two years ago bed and breakfast regulations were removed from the ‘umbrella’ of hotel and inn regulations in an effort to ease the construction and remodeling pain of established bed and breakfasts,” Mr Vouros wrote in part. “As we began this building, it became readily apparent to local, and subsequently to state, officials that the state had not written regulations for new bed and breakfast construction.”

The state regulations were in fact rewritten five years ago, in 2000. Tom Paternoster, the building inspector for Newtown, agreed this week that the Vouros project has been a challenge to local and state officials.

“The codes used to be a lot stricter, and the state realized that it was creating a hardship for people who wanted to convert an old house into a bed and breakfast,” Mr Paternoster said. “[The codes] were rewritten to make things a little easier for those situations, but for someone building a new construction for use as a bed and breakfast they’re very confusing.”

One of the problems is that building codes and fire codes sometimes seem conflicting. The Fire Marshal’s office may have codes that specify “for existing buildings,” while the building department’s codes do not specify whether they cover new or existing buildings.

Classification for a new bed and breakfast is difficult: it isn’t an existing building, which is what most B&B codes are written for; and it isn’t a solely residential building.

“This is all new to everybody — it was all new to [John Vouros], to us, to the contractors, to everyone one involved,” Mr Paternoster said.

“I don’t think they ever anticipated a new bed and breakfast up at the state. John’s is probably the first new one in the state. In that way he’s a pioneer,” he said with a laugh.

The dwelling at 29 Main Street has been under construction for nine months. The building is three stories tall and has six bedrooms with private baths for guests, and a seventh suite on the second floor that will serve as the residence for the Vouroses.

There are overnight accommodations with breakfast for guests, and the facility will also be available for intimate catered affairs such as small wedding receptions. The B&B’s backyard features a tiered patio and garden area, perfect for hosting small events.

The Dana-Holcombe House is not a restaurant, nor will it host a public tap room.

For its guests there is a dining room that can seat more than 20 people. There is also a common living room and library. Jane Vouros worked with local decorators in creating distinct styles for each room.

Tickets that had been purchased for the open house and garden tour are being refunded. Most ticket-holders have already been contacted, but those who paid cash for their tickets should contact NSA member Stephanie Gaston, at 426-2500, to arrange a refund.

The Vouroses had decided to hold an event to celebrate the opening of their new home and business while also raising money for Newtown Scholarship Association. Mr and Mrs Vouros are both retired teachers who finished their careers in Newtown schools; he retired at the end of the 2002-03 school year, and Mrs Vouros celebrated the beginning of her retirement this past June.

“Considering Jane and I both taught in Newtown, collectively for 70 years, it’s only logical that we chose NSA to sponsor this house and garden tour,” Mr Vouros told The Bee last month.

“We will have a public event when everything is ready,” Mr Vouros said this week. “We’re just not going to put pressure on ourselves or anyone else by setting a specific date yet.”